Endless propeller for boats.



PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906.

G. R. HORTON. ENDLESS PROPELLER FOR BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED PB.13. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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Sumter,

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PATENTBD FEB. 27, 1906.

G. R. BURTON.

ENDLESS PROPELLER FOR BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.13.1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 vuil wenn:

'the .clutch members end interinsshins:

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE R. HORTON, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGSOR OF ONE- HALF TO EDGAR L. NICHOLSON. OF SEATTLE. WASHINGTON.

ENDLESS PHQPILLER FOFI BOATS.

Specincetlon oi Lettere Pstsnt.

einem ne. s?, isos.

To Il whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Grosor R. Hos'rozt, s citizen of the United Stetes, residing at Sen Die in the county of Ssn Diego and State of elilornia, have invented certein new and useful Improvements in Endless Propellers forBosts, of which the following is e speci- CBIOII.

This invention consists of e novel form of endless propeller for smell boats, ships, yachts, or power-driven vessels of any type.

The invention resides in the provision of en endless propeller or propellers of s ial construction by which the friction o mounting of the propellers upon the boat is reduced to a minimum, enab the vessel to be driven at e maximum s the various detail erts com rised in the ropeller structure ing simp' end com inedinsuchemsnnsr ss to sdmit of reed I access thereto for purposes of repair or the This invention involves, further, the use of s plurality of chain pro llers upon e single vessel, said propellers ing opereted by e suiteble motor, the invention including peculiar connections whereby the operation of the propellers me be controlled in propelling the ship forw y, reerwudl y, end in turnlx1ior s full dsscri tion of the invention and themeritsthsreo andelsotoscquirse knowledge of the details o! construction of the mesas for eecting tho result reference is to be had to the following description and eccompanying drawings in which- G F 1 is e verticsl longitudinel sectionel view through the hull o! e vessel, bringing out more clearly the construction of the proelIer. Fig. 2 is s sectional view centrally roken away, teken ebout on the line X X of Fi l. Fig. 3 is e plan view showing the h of the vessel, b out the errengement of the propellsrs. ig. 4 is a plen new shawl? a portion of e recswey upon the vessel sn a portion of the endless propeller mounted in rscswey. Fig. 5 is e perspective view, parte broken ewsy, showing more clearly the detail construction o! the chains o! tho pro andmoun oltbs paddles thereon. Fig. 6 vs view 5,

ofpertsofths opereung endccnnection's' between tbs same the wer sheits: Figui is e front elevations owing nears carried b the wer-shafts and th shaft y p0 e engineorresponding and like ports are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views o the drawings b v the same reference charec ters.

In out the invention the hull l of s vessel is illustrated, the vessel being of any type et present in use to which the invention is susceptible of epplicetion, the construction of the vessel be' immaterial save with regard to the mounting of the propeller or propellers therein. The hull 1 is provided with raceweys 2, uglon which the endless ropel. lors, two of w ch artulrefersbly use in the construction illustra ,src edapted to travel. The recsways 2 sre com bed extending horizont y through the body of the ship between the bottom and the upper decks of the hull, as shown et 3, seid raceweys extending downwsrdly et the ends (see 3*) and thence extendinelong the bottoni of the vessel et 3*. The or bese of each i'scswey 2 is prefersbly of metal, and at opposits sides of seid recewey, over which n single endless propeller travels, ere located longitlilidinsl guide-enges 4, which guide the Pmi sed of e track or therefor. The pro llers used upon the ship or vessel ere o construction, and the number of ropellere depends upon the size ofthe v for obvious reasons.

One only of the propellers will described, end the seme consists of e plurality of chains 5, each of which u com of e plurality of links 6. The links 6 o each chain ere pivotell connected together by means of e pintlerod?, which planes through epertured ugs 8, formed by t s extremities of each link 6 aforesaid. The pintle-rods 7 are utilized not only to connect the links o of each of the cheins 8, but these pintle-rods 7 ere designed to form e connection between the several chains 5 of esoh endless propeller, and for thisressonthessrodspessthro hthslugsS o! trsnsvexsely-elinsd links 6 o the venous chains 5. The pintls-rods 1 ars o! peculiar construction, heving sntifriction rollers 8 mounted thereon between the several chains seid rollers 8 being for contact with the bsd or bess o! the rseewey 2, so es to reduce frictiglilibetwteesi's'he propellter enditsrecewe to a prec icebls. The egtremitiegenof the pintle-rods 7 er in its movement over the racewsy ies are enlarged, as shown at 9, and the outer I' applied to the shafts i wel age-sized vessels the a lication l'th The balls l are mounted i pp o e pw" sides of the enlarged portions 9 are concaved to form seats, in which are located the antifriction-balls 10. between the heads or enlarged ortions 9 of the pintle-rods T and the space flanges 4 of the raceway and these balls reduce the friction between the sides of the endless propeller and the racewa in which it is mounted to a minimum also. he pintle-rods thus cooperate' with the flanges 4 to a certain extent in guiding the propeller in its longitudinal movement u n the raceway 2; but in addition to the pintle-rods it is designed to utilize t5 other guide means in the form of guide members l1, which are projected laterally from the outer side of each of the links of the outer chain 5 at opposite sides of the propeller.

The guide members 11 are of approxi mately U form and receive between the sides thereof the upper unions of the guideflanges 4. The mem rs 11 thus have an interloclring connection with the flanges 4 and effectively obviate lateral play of the endless a5 propeller as it travels upon its raceway causing the propeller to move smoothly and without noise. Between the sides of each U- shaped guide member 11 is mounted a roller 12, arranged to travel upon the flange 4 adjacent, reduci friction between the members 11 and said anges in an obvious manner. The members 11 virtually form spaced ears pro'ecting from the outer side of the links 6 of t e outer chains 5.

It will be understood that the number of chains 5 used for each endless propeller may be varied according to the size of the vessel and other existing conditions, and to further reduce the friction between the chains 5 of the propeller and the raceway in which it moves t e various links 6 of the chains 5 are provided at a point about intermediate their ends with bars 13 connecting opposite sides of each link. Rollers 14 are mounted u on the bars 13, and said rollers are adapt to come into direct contact with the raceway 2 to assist the rollers 8 in reduc' the friction. The chains 5 pass about sproc et-wheels 15 and 15 at o posits ends of the raceway 2 for each props er. The sprocket-wheels 15 are mounted upon a shaft 17, and the said wheels 15 coact with the s rocket-chains 5 in the usual manner the ro ers 14 reducing friction between the chains 5 and the sprocket-wheels 15 and 15 in a manner readily apparent. The wheels 16 are carried by a power-shaft 18, and the power-shaft 18 of eac endless propeller pro'ects at one end outwardlyfrom the propel er. so as to admit of ap hcation of the power at this point. s 17 and 18 are of course ournaled in suitable journalboxes, and st boxes are provided therefoTr to resvnt say watelri cagrred to the shaf 1 an 1 yt pro er mentenngt 65 interior of the vesaeto i7 ot' the propellers as as to the shafts 18. However, for averat both ends of the propeller will be unnecessary. Further, the propellers may travel 7e aoout sprocket-wheels near the bottom of the vessel and at the lower portion 3 of the raceway'l; hut ordinarilyr sprockebwheels at thiscpoint mav also be dispensed with. The pad les 19 of the endless pro ellers are at- 75 tached to the links 6 at interva; in the length of the chains 5 composing said ropellers, said addles bein rigidly attached to transverse v alined inks by any substantial means.. Braces 2O may connect the outer 8e extremities of the outer upper portions of the paddles 19 with the adjacent link 6 of the outer chain 5, to which said paddle mav be secured, and the paddles 19 will be rigidlv supportedbv this means. The motor meciianism, which mty be an engine or engines of any convention type, is preferably mounted between the pro .operably connect peculiar manner. 9c

Specifically describing the parts of the power mechanism illustrated 'in the drawings, the numeral 21 indicates an engine-shaft which is connected with a suitable motor and which extends preferably longitudinally of the vessel being between the endless propellers. The motor to which the engine-shaft 21 is connected is not shown, this not being essential, any class of engine mai be utilized. The power-shafts 18, whic toe carry the s rocket-wheels 16 over which the chains 5 o the endless propellers pass, have the inner end portions thereof adjacent one another, as shown moet clearly in Fi 3 of the drawings. Mounted upon the a jacent to; ends of the shafts 18 are movable and stationary clutch elements 22 and 23, respectively. The movable clutch element 22 s splined upon the shaft 18, carrying the same, and is movable toward and from the clutch no elements 23 so as to be e with and disengaged from the latter.

When the clutch elements 22 and 23 are in engagement with each other, the shafts 18 are connected for sim\iltane ouso ration,be- 1x5 ing driveninthe predetermined irection by a bevel-gear 24 upon the e e-shaft 21, the gear 24 being in mesh wit a similar bevelar 25, lreyed to the power-shaft 18 opposite at having the clutch member 22. The ne gears 24 and 25 are normally m mesh, so that when the clutch element! 22 and 23 connect the shafts 18 the engins-shaft 21 is adapted to communicate power to the shafts llers of the vessel and is with the shafts 18 in a 18 to eEect travel of the endlessdpro llera ug in either direction, since the sh 2 mav be adil versed in bac the vessel. Mouri'itedyugon the shaft lgngarryir the clutch element 22, is a movable beve -gear The power may be 0.6, which also has a feather-antl-spline coni o nection with said shaft, and this gear 26 is of a form similar to the gear 25, being adapted, however, to be thrown into and out of mesh with the engine-shaft gear 24. The gear 26 is utilized to enable the endless propellers to be reversed in order to turn the vessel. Levers may be used to impart sliding movement to the members .22 and 26 in order to res ectively clutch and engage the same wit the clutch elements and the gear 24. In operation when the ship is moving forwardly the gear 24 of the engine-shaft 21 is in enga ment with the gear 25 of the shaft 1S, and 51e shafts 18 are operably connected by engagement of the clutch elements 22 and 23.

In order to reverse the endless propeller-s, it is only necessary to reverse the eng1ne-shaft 21 in an obvious manner. To turn the ship, however, the clutch element 22 is thrown out of clutch with the element 23, and the gear 26 is thrown into engagement with the gear 24 of the en ine-shaft 21. Revolution o? the gear 24 wil therefore communicate reverse motion to the shafts 18, as the gear 24 is in mesh with both of the gears 25 and 26, and the ship may thus be turned without moving either forwardly or sternward;

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In combination with a vessel, a raceway, an endless propeller arranged for travel upon the racewa said propeller embodying a plurality of cliains, rollers mounted between the chains to reduce the friction between the chains and the raceway, and paddles carried by the chains aforesaid.

2. In combination with a vessel, a raceway, an endless propeller arranged to travel u on the racewa and embodying a plurality ci, chains, each c ain includin a. plurality of links, rollers mounted in the inks to reduce friction between the raceway and the propeller,i and paddles carried by the chains aforesai 3. In combination with a vessel, a raceway thereon, an endless propeller arranged to travel upon the raceway, said propeller comrising a. lurality of chains composed of inks, int e-rods connecting ad'acent links of eac chain and adjacent chains, addles carried by the chains aforesaid, an rollers carried by individual links of the several chains.

4. In combination with a vessel, a raceway thereon, an endless propeller arrangednto travel upon the racewa flanges at op oslte sides of the raceway, t e propeller em odying a plurality of endless chains, addles carried by the chains, antifrictionearings between the chains and the flanges of the raceway, and antifriction-rollers sup orted by the propeller between the chains tlliereof.

5. In combination with a vessel, a raceway thereon, an endless propeller arranged to travel upon the racewa flanges at op osite sides of the raceway, t e ropeller em odying a plurality of endless c ains, addles carried by the chains, antifrictionearings between the chains and the flanges of the raceway, and other antifriction-bearings between the chains and the bed or body of the raceway.

6. In combination with a vessel, a raceway thereon, ilanges at opposite sides of the raceway, an endless propeller arran ed to travel upon the raceway and compose( of a plurality of chains, pintle-rods connecting adj acent links of the chains and also connectin adjacent chains, antifriction-bearings carrie by the pintle-rods between adjacent chains to reduce friction between the propeller and the raceway, and other antirction-bearings between the pintle-rods and the flanges of the raceway. v

7. In combination with a vessel, a raceway thereon, an endless propeller arranged to travel upon the raceway, said propeller comprising a. chain, anges at opposite sides of the raceway, and guide members carried by the chain of the propeller and engaging over the flanges of the raceway.

S. In combination with a vessel, a raceway thereon, an endless propeller arranged to travel upon the raceway, said propeller comprisin a plurality of chains, flanges at o posite si es of the raceway, and guide mem ers proiected from links of the outer chains of the propeller and engaging over the flanges of the racewa 9. Incombmation with a vessel, a raceway thereon, an endless propeller arranged to travel upon the raceway, said propeller comprisin a plurality of chains, Hanges at opposite si es of the raceway, guide members projected from links of the outer chains of the propeller and enga over the flanges of the raceway, and rol erearings between the guide members and the flan es.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE R. HORTON.

Witnesses:

J. L. FREELAND, C. A. Buss. 

